
Mountain Fever Records has also released a special Mother’s Day track, Junior Sisk’s version of Memories of Mother, from his current album, If There’s A Will There’s A Way.
The song, of course, was written by Carter Stanley, and first recorded by The Stanley Brothers in 1954. It was released as a single by Mercury Records, backed with another of Carter’s classics, Could You Love Me (One More Time).
Junior gives Memories of Mother the perfect Stanley treatment, with Ricky Skaggs singing tenor, just as he did with Keith Whiteley back in the ’70s.
He says it’s one that’s been with him for a while.
“This is a song I have been singing since my teenage years. A long time ago!
It’s a Stanley Brothers song that I learned from the Second Generation album by Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs. When I first thought about recording this song, I thought back to those days and called Ricky to see if he would sing it with me. When we got the song done I asked Ricky what he thought, and his response was, ‘I think Ralph would be proud.'”
With Junior on guitar and lead vocal, and Ricky on tenor, The track features Heather Berry Mabe on guitar, Tony Mabe on banjo, Jonathan Dillon on mandolin, and Curt Love on bass. Tim Crouch guests on fiddle.
They turn in a deeply moving take on this quintessential bluegrass standard. It’s hard to imagine doing a better version today.
Have a listen…
Junior’s Memories of Mother is available from popular download and streamings services online. It, and all the tracks from the album, are offered to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.